Narragansett Bay News
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| Environment Rhode Island declared a critical victory for Newport beaches today, as the Town of Middletown agreed to take steps to end its illegal sewage and stormwater pollution. These steps were part of a proposed settlement of a federal lawsuit brought by Environment Rhode Island and four local residents to enforce the Clean Water Act. | |
| Environment Rhode Island and four Newport residents today filed an enforcement lawsuit against the City of Newport for discharging pollutants from the City’s sanitary and storm water sewer system into Newport Harbor and Easton’s Bay in violation of the Clean Water Act. Earth Tech, Inc., the national engineering firm hired by Newport to operate the City’s wastewater treatment plant, is also named as a defendant in the suit. The lawsuit was filed in the United States District Court for the District of Rhode Island. | |
| Providence, RI-- The R.I. House has voted 60-0 to approve the Smart Development For A Cleaner Bay Act of 2007. The legislation will raise Rhode Island’s runoff standards for new development and redevelopment projects to better protect the Bay and Rhode Island’s lakes, rivers and streams from pollution. The legislation was introduced by Rep. Ray Sullivan (Coventry, West Greenwich). | |
| The Rhode Island Department of Health has closed several beaches in Rhode Island due to high bacteria counts caused in part by stormwater. | |
| Environment Rhode Island has settled our Clean Water Act lawsuit with a major South County polluter. The settlement is a major victory for clean water, but raises questions about whether state enviornmental laws are being adequately enforced. | |